A titan of the horological world passed away this week. Philippe Stern, the maestro of Patek Philippe who shepherded the nearly two-century-old maison into the 21st century — and by extension, helped guide Swiss mechanical watchmaking into modern relevance. Patek Philippe had been a Stern family concern for generations. Brothers Charles and Jean Stern acquired the company in the nadir of the Great Depression, and Charles’s son Henri was instrumental in bringing Patek Philippe to American shores in 1935. But in the challenging decades since, where the future of mechanical watchmaking itself seemed to be on the path of extinction, it was Philippe Stern who reinforced the company's independence and commitment to grand complications, which brought back the art of refined, precise, and skilled watchmaking, and Patek Philippe into the most revered practitioners of haute horology. "I associate Philippe Stern's era with a focus on developing and preserving highly complicated mechanical movements,” said Albert Ganjei, Founder and President of European Watch Company. “I hope that the next generation follows in the footsteps of Philippe Stern.""The passing of Philippe Stern is, for sure, the end of the most important era in Patek Philippe's history,” said Joshua Ganjei, CEO of European Watch Company. “Under Philippe Stern, the Patek Philippe brand became known worldwide for refinement, precision, and craftsmanship.”While many important references and milestones happened during his tenure, here are five key models that debuted during his leadership - references that embraced a new era of watchmaking excellence, while also revitalizing some of Patek’s most beloved pieces and complications. Reference 5970